Yay!
You just took a big step and invested in photography that will only grow in value over time! You’ve booked your session, we’ve chosen your date, and now we just sit back and wait, right? Not quite! We still have some prep work do to to help this session become everything we dream it can be. This page will be your go to resource to help you prepare and to let you know exactly what’s coming. Grab some coffee (or boba?) and sit down to read through this info.
If we haven’t already decided on location, we’ll do that over email, and as your date gets closer, feel free to text or email me any questions you have about wardrobe.
One week before your session I’ll check in to confirm our location choice, the weather plan, and to be sure everyone is healthy. You’ll get another reminder email one day before the session, and then our day will be here and we’ll BOTH be completely prepared and ready to go.
Location
The best photography sessions are the result of combining my knowledge of light and timing and geography with who your family is, what you enjoy, and your dreams for photos. If you are planning a newborn session, we’ll likely want to shoot in your home or my studio. But maternity and family sessions have so many options. If we haven’t already, we’ll work together to pick the most photogenic location for the vibe you’re wanting.
Wardrobe
Guiding principles
Everyone should coordinate, but not match
Choose a color palette and stick to it
Avoid neon colors near faces because they cause ugly color casts on skin
Use pattern sparingly (one pattern per three people is a good rule of thumb)
Embrace layers and accessories
What will you WEAR?? For many, this is the hardest part of taking photos. You want to look your best but not like you’re trying too hard, and the options are endless, right? If this is you, take a deep breath. I’ve got you.
If you don’t want the responsibility of styling your family, PLEASE let me! I love this stuff! Maybe you just need me to pull a few options as a starting place, or maybe you’d like me to shop for your whole family. Either way, I’m in. Just give me the sizes of the people you need clothes for and I’ll pull some options that you can purchase online.
If you are up for styling yourselves, I do have some guiding principles based on what makes great photos. It doesn’t matter if your style is boho and breezy or bright and striking as long as we’ve chosen the location with your style in mind. Here are links to my wardrobe advice for each kind of session I shoot:
Your Session
My goal is to make your session as fun and pain-free as possible. In order to make that happen, I need you, the parent, to let go of everything. Let me wrangle kids, find ways to engage them, handle the one who keeps sticking their tongue out. I have a NO DISCIPLINE rule during sessions. Your job is to smile and laugh and be playful and just keep thinking about how much you love these little humans. Will you feel the love? Maybe not so much in the moment if you are seeing your less-than-favorite sides of them come out, but if you LOOK at them lovingly, I’ll get the images that melt your heart and make it all worth it.
The Big Screen
After your session I’ll cull your images down to the best of the best (usually 40-50 images) and start editing. When I’m finished (usually 2-3 weeks after the session) I’ll upload them into your gallery and I’ll send you an email with the link to your slideshow.
I’d LOVE for you to make an event of viewing your slideshow. Pop some popcorn, put it on the big TV, and have everyone involved come view it together. The first time you see your images is always the best, so make it an event!
Remember that once you click the link to view the slideshow it will only be available for 24 hours or until you purchase your collection — whichever comes first. But once you’ve selected and paid for your collection your gallery (and the slideshow!) will be available for thirty days, pre-loaded with your print credit and ready for you to download the number of digital files that comes with your chosen collection.
Downloading
When you’ve decided which images you’d like to download for your collection (no need to pick and choose with Collection C), I’d encourage you to that immediately. Simply select the images and use the down arrow in the upper right corner of your gallery. Click on that and the system will walk you through the download process. Your images will download as a zip file which you can double-click to expand.
I recommend you make a second copy of the expanded files and then save the two copies to two different locations, ideally one on your computer, easily accessible, and one to the cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.).
Copyrights (and Wrongs)
Once you have your digital files in hand you are free to print them when, where, and as often as you wish. Use them to make holiday cards, share on social media or a personal blog, whatever.
The only things you can’t do are edit your images (cropping is fine, but please don’t put filters on them!) or use them for commercial/business purposes. For example, if you authored a book, you wouldn’t be able to use one of the photos on the dust jacket without making arrangements with me first.
Printing Your Images
While everything I offer in your gallery store is printed by professional labs and guaranteed to be beautiful and stand the test of time, I also acknowledge that you may want to print your images yourself. And you absolutely can! I recommend that clients us Artifact Uprising to get better-quality results. Be sure to de-select any color correction options, and be sure to upload the original files you downloaded, not copies. The files you receive from me should allow you to print up to 20x30 easily.
In the Store
Here are some of my favorite products available for purchase with your print credit in your gallery store:
Professional Lab Prints
Choose a deep matte, semi-gloss, or fine art option for high quality prints of your favorite images in a variety of sizes on archival paper.
5x7...$45
8x10...$45
11x14...$100
Framed Matted Prints
Available in white, black, light wood, and dark wood, your chosen images will be printed on Kodak Matte photographic paper and mounted with a premium white mat board and arrive ready to be displayed.
5x7...$160
8x10...$190
11x14...$230
Deckled-Edge Fine Art Prints
Archival 100% cotton and acid free prints hand-torn to create a feathered edge that make these prints extra special.
5x7...$60
8x10...$80
Lay-flat Albums
My favorite way to tell your session's story and preserve your images for generations. These albums are designed by me and printed on professional matte paper create a true heirloom. Choose from a variety of linen covers with foiled debossing and your album will arrive in a luxurious linen presentation box.
10 spreads (20 pages) are included in the prices below. More pages can be added for an additional cost.
8x8...$600
10x10...$725
12x12...$900
FAQs
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It happens! If you wake up the day of your session and your child has a fever, of course we’ll reschedule. Just text me to let me know and then we’ll work on choosing a new date.
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So glad you asked! I’ve been dying to get clients to shoot with me in Palm Springs (one of my favorite getaways). If that’s something that appeals to you, let me know. There would be a travel cost, depending on location, but I’m up for it! Locations within an hour radius of me don’t require a travel fee.
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The lay-flat album is my number one choice for a super compact way to physically preserve your images. An album takes virtually no space in a bookshelf or it can be set out on a coffee table and it can tell the story of your session. My albums are my kids’ favorite ways to look at photos.
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Every image is edited for color-correction, cropping/straightening, and light skin retouching (obvious blemishes or scrapes are removed). Beyond that, additional editing requests can be made for an additional fee.
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Did my gray hair give me away? I’ve been a professional photographer since 2008. That’s 15 years now!
Thank you!
You’ve made it through A LOT of information! Thank you for taking the time to read this and for committing to making this session as beautiful and smooth as can be. Investing in family photography is a gift to yourself, to your children, and to generations to come. The value of these images will only continue to grow as the years go by.
Please reach out if you have any other questions or want to text me some wardrobe options or if anything else comes up.
